OM System has announced the release of the OM-5 Mark II. It’s an evolution from the Mark I, adding some much sought-after improvements to this popular camera's predecessor.
The OM-5 Mark II is the latest version of what was one of my favorite cameras of all time: the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. It was a great camera to use because it felt comfortable in my hands, and I could easily slip it into my pocket. The image quality was spot on too, and its image stabilization was so good that I could use it to photograph people in the subdued light of a wedding dance.
I always regretted giving away that splendid little camera. Now, three generations of the camera later, along comes the OM-5 Mark II, and I am going to buy one.
The camera is small but considerably lighter than my old model because, like the original OM-5, its body is made from a strong polycarbonate. That’s perfect for me when cycling or hiking up hills and mountains, but it will be equally appealing for those who want a camera for lifestyle or street photography.
Of course, the camera inherits the OM System’s IP53 weather sealing, and it is freeze-proof to -10°.
Pleasingly, the camera inherits the new OM System menu, which is widely recognized as a vast improvement on the old menu, although I never had an issue with it. Improvements include a redesigned grip, making it easier to grip than its predecessor, and it features a USB-C port, making it possible to either charge or run the camera in the field using a power bank.
The class-leading 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS) has been upgraded, giving up to 6.5 steps of stabilization, or 7.5 with Sync IS when used with a compatible lens. The original OM-5 and its predecessors were popular with those who use legacy lenses. Old film lenses and modern and third-party manual focus lenses don’t communicate with the camera, and you can manually program 10 lenses and their focal lengths into the OM-5 Mark II so they can take full advantage of the IBIS.
It has a 21 MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS sensor. Given that 8 MP is sufficient to print A3, that is more than sufficient for most. The sensor has the best dust removal system you will find in any camera; I’ve been shooting with this brand of camera for nearly twenty years, and I’ve never had to clean dust from the sensor.
It has a large, bright OLED viewfinder with a 100% view, and there are numerous options for what is displayed within it. The camera also has a swiveling articulated touchscreen monitor.
The new camera has both phase-detect and contrast-detect autofocus with 121 cross-type focus points.
It has inherited a feature from the recently released OM-3, which is quick and easy access to the computational photography features. It does this with a new CP button.
For those who like to produce video, the new camera has new OM Cinema video profiles. It also shoots in 4K.
The OM-5 Mark II has also now got Night View mode, which, especially when combined with Starry Sky AF, helps with nighttime focusing.
The camera is available in three color versions. There is all black, black and silver, and a new Beige Sand limited edition version. It will be available in mid-July.
This looks like a wise addition to the OM System lineup. It sits below the OM-1 Mark II. It's unrealistic to expect the new camera to have all the features of the OM-1 Mark II, which is aimed at the outdoor explorer, wildlife, and macro photographer, although I use mine for weddings and events too, as well as street photography and studio work. For example, there is no subject detection, which makes sense as its smaller body isn’t ergonomically ideal for big telephoto lenses.
- The pricing is as follows:
- OM-5 Mark II Body: $1199.99 USD or £1099 GBP
- OM-5 Mark II 12-45mm F4.0 Kit: $1599.99 USD or £1499 GBP
- OM-5 Mark II 14-150mm II Kit: $1499.99 USD or £1499 GBP
Specifications
Imaging
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Lens mount: Micro Four Thirds
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Sensor resolution:
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Actual: 21.8 megapixel
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Effective: 20.4 megapixel
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Image sensor: 17.4 x 13 mm (Four Thirds) CMOS
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Sensor crop (35mm equivalent): 2x crop factor
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Image stabilization: Sensor-shift, 5-axis
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Built-in ND filter: Mechanical filter wheel with 4-stop (1/16) ND filters
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Capture type: Stills & video
General
- Battery: 1x BLS-10 rechargeable lithium-ion (included) • Approx. 310 shots
- Shoe mount: 1x hot shoe
- Tripod mount: 1x 1/4"-20 female
- Construction material: Magnesium alloy
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 4.9 x 3.4 x 2" / 125.3 x 85.2 x 49.7 mm
- Weight: 13.1 oz / 370 g (body only)
Flash
- Built-in flash: No
- Flash modes: Auto, fill-in, manual, off, slow sync, TTL auto
- Maximum sync speed: 1/250 second
- Flash compensation: -3 to +3 EV
- Dedicated system: TTL
- External flash: Hot shoe mount
Focus
- Focus type: Auto and manual
- Focus modes: Continuous-servo AF, manual focus, single-servo AF
- Autofocus points: 121 (contrast and phase detection)
Viewfinder
- Type: Electronic (OLED)
- Resolution: 1024 x 768 (2,360,000 dot)
- Coverage: 100%
- Magnification: Approx. 1.48x
- Diopter adjustment: Yes
Monitor
- Display size: 3"
- Resolution: 1,037,000 dot
- Type: Articulating touchscreen LCD
Interface
- Media slot: 1x SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II)
- Video I/O: 1x Micro-HDMI output
- Audio I/O: 1x 1/8" / 3.5 mm TRS stereo microphone input
- Power I/O: 1x USB-C input
- Data I/O: 1x USB-C (shared with power input)
- Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Mobile app compatibility: Yes – Android & iOS (OM Image Share)
- GPS: Via connected smartphone
Video Capture
- Internal recording modes:
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4096 x 2160 at 24.00 fps [240 Mb/s]
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3840 x 2160 at 24.00/25/30.00 fps [105 Mb/s]
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1920 x 1080 at 24.00/25/30.00/50/60.00/120 fps [30 to 205 Mb/s]
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1280 x 720 at 24.00/25/30.00/50/60.00 fps
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- External recording: Not supported
- Fast-/slow-motion support: Yes
- Recording limit: No
- Built-in microphone: Stereo/mono
- Audio recording: 16-bit 48 kHz LPCM
Still Image Capture
- Aspect ratios: 1:1, 3:2, 3:4, 4:3, 16:9
- File formats: JPEG, raw
- Bit depth: 12-bit
Exposure Control
- Shutter types: Mechanical focal plane and electronic rolling shutter
- Shutter speeds:
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Electronic: 1/32,000 to 60 seconds
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Electronic front curtain: 1/320 to 60 seconds
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Mechanical: 1/8,000 to 60 seconds
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- Bulb/time mode: Supported
- ISO/gain sensitivity:
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Manual mode: 200 to 6400 (64 to 6400 extended)
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Auto mode: Up to 6400
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- Metering methods: Center-weighted average, highlight-weighted, multi-zone, spot
- Exposure modes: Aperture priority, auto, manual, program, shutter priority
- Exposure compensation: -5 to +5 EV (1/3, 1/2, 1 EV steps)
- Metering range: -2 to 20 EV
- White balance: Auto, Kelvin
- Continuous shooting: Up to 30 fps at maximum resolution
- Interval recording: Yes
